Adult Mental Health Rehabilitation Unit
What we do
We provide medium to long term residential treatment and rehabilitation for people who have unremitting and severe symptoms of mental illness. Quite often these people with unremitting and severe symptoms of mental illness will also:
- Have difficulty living in the community or a less restrictive environment due to behavioural disturbances or lack of capacity to live independently
- Be at high risk of harm to themselves or others
- Have co-morbid conditions including drug and alcohol problems, acquired brain injury or intellectual disability
Our service has 26 beds and is located in Sunshine. AMHRU is a regional catchment-based service for three referring Area Mental Health Services across Melbourne:
- Inner West (7 beds)
- Mid West (9 beds)
- South West (10 beds)
People who need the level of care we provide meet the criteria for compulsory treatment which cannot be provided in a less restrictive environment under the Mental Health Act 2014.
We represent the highest level of care on the continuum of mainstreamed mental health services and provide:
- Extended clinical treatment, supervision and support for people whose needs cannot be met adequately by other less restrictive programs and services
- Care in a closed or locked (secure) environment
We do not provide the same elements of service featured in a secure forensic facility. However we do provide a locked environment with careful consideration of access and use by consumers, staff and visitors.
How we work
We maintain close working relationships with relevant statewide specialist services such as Forensicare, Victorian Dual Disability Service (VDDS), Drug and Alcohol services, Spectrum (personality disorder service) in order to facilitate recovery goals and optimise the treatment and care provided to individuals.
In addition, we work collaboratively with other services such as:
- Mental Health Community Support Services
- General Practitioners
- Integrated Community Teams
- Housing Services
- Disability Employment services
- Centrelink
- State Trustees
We practice within the recovery framework and work with consumers (and their families/carers) to identify and achieve their goals, improve functioning and enhance quality of life with the expectation that they will return to their community.
Our staff believe that by working alongside consumers, families and others they can be:
- vehicles of hope
- promoters of self-awareness and self-advocacy
- mechanisms for meaningful activity
- advocates for system-wide changes to improve opportunities for the clients and reducing stigma within the service system and community
Location
Find out more about the AMHRU location.